Club shows support for the AIA China Youth Football Development programme

Posted on 17 March 2015
- 08:30

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• Club to wear charity’s logo on the front of its shirts for the match against Leicester City on Saturday, March 21• AIA China Youth Football Development programme aims to provide sporting opportunities for thousands of disadvantaged young people in rural China• Two young people from Guangdong province will be team mascots and help lead the players out onto the pitch as part of a life-changing trip to London

The Club is showing its support for the AIA China Youth Football Development programme during this Saturday’s Premier League match with Leicester City at White Hart Lane.

Players will wear special edition match shirts featuring the charity’s logo that will be auctioned off to raise money to help thousands of disadvantaged young people in China gain access to life-changing sporting opportunities via the Club and AIA China.

The initiative is part of our long-term partnership with AIA, one of the world’s leading life insurance providers, which is committed to promoting increased sports participation and healthy lifestyles across the Asia-Pacific region.

The AIA China Youth Football Development programme was launched in Shanghai last year with the help of legends Ledley King and Steffen Freund, and coaches from the Club’s Academy.

The charity aims to promote the development of youth football across China through coach education, the improvement of sports facilities and the increasing participation in rural areas amongst primary school children.

Legendary former captain Ledley recently led a football coaching session for underprivileged children from Dulou village in Guangdong province, and two of those participants will be given a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to lead the teams out onto the pitch as mascots for Saturday’s match.

During their special visit to London, they will also take part in a football coaching session at our world class training centre alongside girls of the same age from the Club’s local community, led by the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation and Spurs Ladies, and supported by first team players Christian Eriksen and Nacer Chadli.

Daniel Levy, Chairman, Tottenham Hotspur, said: “We are delighted to show our support for a cause that is close to the hearts of our principal partner, AIA, and one which we have been involved with since it launched last year.

“Our Global Coaching team, along with legends such as Ledley and Steffen, have been instrumental in delivering coach education workshops out in China alongside football sessions for some of the country’s most disadvantaged young people.

“The Club, through its award-winning Foundation, has a proven track record of using the power of football to create life-changing opportunities for young people within our local community, and we are proud to be able to take this work to a global level in support of the AIA China Youth Football Development programme.”

John Cai, AIA China CEO, said: “We are proud to partner with Tottenham Hotspur to promote the AIA China Youth Football Development programme to a wider audience outside China.

“Football is the world’s most popular sport and this is certainly the case in China. lt has the power to teach young people not only the value of healthy living, but the value of teamwork and perseverance.

“As the Real Life Company, AIA China aims to use the power of football as a positive force to benefit local communities, especially those underprivileged youngsters. AIA China is committed to making hundreds and thousands of young people’s dreams come true through our football charity programme.

“AIA will continue to place a strong focus on providing opportunities for people to engage in healthy activities and in supporting the wellbeing of people and communities in China.”

The long-term partnership between Tottenham Hotspur and AIA provides a platform for both organisations to work together to grow brand awareness in key markets across the Asia-Pacific region, where the Club has an estimated fanbase of over 170 million.

Club ambassadors regularly make visits to AIA's markets, using their unique appeal as legendary Spurs players to support a host of co-branded initiatives including events and appearances for company staff, agents, customers and charitable partners.

Meanwhile, Tottenham Hotspur's Global Coaching team deliver elite coaching programmes and associated activities to support AIA's key objectives of promoting health and well-being and increased participation in sport in the Asia-Pacific region.

Tottenham Hotspur Foundation, a leader in its field of creating life-changing opportunities for some of society’s most vulnerable groups, also shares ideas and philosophies with AIA to help improve the lives of underprivileged young people across the Far East region.